The political-military coalition Alianza Río Congo (AFC-M23) has announced its takeover of Goma, the strategic capital of North Kivu province in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

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Guterres Warns of Crisis in Eastern DRC Amid M23 Advances

In a statement, M23 proclaimed the “successful liberation of the city” and issued demands that all Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) soldiers surrender their weapons within 48 hours, handing them over to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) for storage.

The group also ordered the suspension of all activities in the city until further notice and called on Goma residents to “remain calm.”

Previously, General Sylvain Ekenge, spokesperson for FARDC, vowed that the army would not allow M23 to capture Goma. “The war has not yet started; it will start now. We will not let them enter Goma. That is a certainty,” Ekenge stated last Saturday.

The DRC government has also severed diplomatic ties with Rwanda, accusing it of providing troops and arms to support M23—a charge Rwanda denies.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the M23 offensive, which he alleged involved the Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF), and called for an immediate halt to hostilities and withdrawal of M23 forces from the region.

The fighting near Goma has led to an exodus of residents, with many crossing the border into Gisenyi, a Rwandan town in the Rubavu District, as violence escalates.

A correspondent in Kenya, Oskar Epelde, reported that villages and camps in Kibati, north of Goma, have been evacuated, leaving the population without water or electricity. The provincial prison has been emptied, and uncertainty looms over the city.

Amid fears of a broader regional conflict in the mineral-rich region, the UN Security Council has yet to impose direct sanctions on Rwanda, despite widespread condemnation of its alleged support for M23.

In response to the escalating violence, Kenyan President William Ruto has called for an extraordinary summit of the East African Community (EAC) within 48 hours. Ruto urged an “immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities” and emphasized the need for humanitarian access and peaceful dialogue to resolve the conflict.

This crisis highlights the enduring instability in eastern DRC, driven by decades of conflict over resources, regional rivalries, and unresolved historical grievances.

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